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Scuba Diver
This scuba diver is a rare specie of
her own kind, unique, classy and fabulous......simply the most adorable.
Silent Scream
When attacked by a
predator, this deep-sea jellyfish (Atolla wyvillei) uses bioluminescence to
"scream" for help. The amazing light show is known as a burglar alarm
display. This jellyfish was photographed by the ROV Hyper Dolphin east of
Japan's Izu-Oshima Island, 2,640 feet (805 meters) below the surface.
Diversity In The Deep
The Census of Marine Life is aimed at cataloging as many species of sea
creatures as possible. This is a Venus flytrap sea anemone (Actinoscyphia
sp.) from the Gulf of Mexico. Its common name includes references to two
terrestrial plants ("Venus flytrap" and "anemone"), but the species is
classified as a type of polyp. It closes its tentacles to capture prey or
protect itself.
Octopus In The Gulf
A deep-water octopus (Benthoctopus sp.) sits on the seafloo in the Gulf of
Mexico's Alaminos Canyon, about 8800 feet (2700 meters) beneath the sea
surface.
Neighbor To An Oil Rig
This queen
angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) was spotted near an oil rig in the Gulf
waters off the coast of Texas.
Cooper Of The Sea
This Gulf of
Mexico amphipod, Phronoma sedentaria, is known as the "Cooper of the Sea"
because the crustacean species lives inside a barrel-shaped creature known
as a salp, also shown here.
King Of The Hydroids
Branchiocerianthus imperator is the largest known type of solitary hydroid.
Hydroids look like flowers, but they're actually animals with tentacles.
This one was spotted by the HOV Shinkai 2000 in Japan's Sagami Bay at a
depth of 2,200 feet (670 meters).
Star Of The Sea
Asteronyx loveni is a type of brittle star that tends to cling onto another
marine species known as the sea pen. This brittle star was spotted with its
arms flung wide in Japanese waters off Sanriku, at a depth of 4,150 feet
(1,265 meters).
Spiky Spider
The spider conch (Lambis chiragra) has six spines on the lip of its shell.
The shell's pearly interior displays beautiful tints of orange and yellow.
The species is listed as "vulnerable" on the Red List of threatened animals
of Singapore.
Boneworms At Work
Osedax worms, more commonly known as boneworms, consume bones on the
seafloor. The reddish feathery plumes act as gills. All Osedax males are
dwarfs and live on the trunks of females.
Paper Bubble
This red-lined paper bubble (Hydatinidae gen. sp.) was discovered in a sperm
whale carcass in the Kagoshima whale fall, off Japan's Cape Nomamisaki. The
gastropod's tiny eyes are protected by cephalic shields. The "paper bubble"
is actually an extremely thin shell.
Dangerous Beauty
The giant Caribbean anemone (Condylactis gigantea) grows to a height of
about 6 inches (15 centimeters). Its tentacles are beautiful ... but they
contain toxin-bearing nematocysts that paralyze the sea anemone's prey.
Fire In Water
The bearded fireworm (Hermodice carunculata) is a type of bristleworm, with
groups of white bristles along each side. The venom-filled bristles easily
penetrate the flesh and break off if this worm is handled. They produce an
intense burning sensation in the area of contact, hence the common name of
the Caribbean species.
Spongebob's Buddy
These nocturnal echinoderms (Ophiothrix suesonii) are called sponge brittle
stars. They are very common in the Caribbean. They are so named because they
are found exclusively either inside or outside living sponges.
What Big Teeth!
Imagine living in the sea where it is permanently dark, cold, and food is
hard to find. For many animals at depth, it may be weeks to months between
meals. If you find something to eat, you have to hang on to it. This is why
so many deep-sea fishes have lots of big teeth. This dragonfish, spotted off
the coast of Australia, even has teeth on its tongue. They would be
terrifying animals ... if they weren’t the size of a banana.
Fish With A Lure
The sargassumfish (Histrio histrio) is a member of the frogfish family (Antennariidae),
a group of small, globular fishes with stalked, grasping, limblike pectoral
fins with small gill openings behind the base, a trapdoor-like mouth high on
the head, and a "fishing lure" (formed by the first dorsal spine) on the
snout. It typically lives in open waters in close association with floating
sargassum weed (Sargassum natans and S. fluitans) but is frequently blown
into nearshore and bay waters during storms. This specimen was found off the
coast of Korea.
Males Of
Leptocheliidae
The males of Leptocheliidae have legs that are larger than those of the
females, in some cases significantly exceeding the body length. While the
legs are normally held folded, they are extended fully forward during
swimming. The extremely slender legs found in the Leptochelia minuta group
are unlikely to be capable of any feeding or locomotory function. This
specimen was collected from the waters off Australia's Lizard Island.
Kooky Cucumber
This newly discovered sea cucumber species, Elpidia belyaevi, was first
found in the Arctic deep sea.
Source:
MSNbc
Courtesy: Sehr
Farrukh
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Sehr Farrukh